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KJZZ News

Legendary Phoenix
television news anchor Bill Close has died at the age of 91.STEVE GOLDSTEIN: Close worked for 29 years at Channel Ten in Phoenix—then known as KOOL—as news anchor
and Vice President for News until he retired in 1993.

Glendale Mayor Jerry Weiers says the city has a good
opportunity to keep the Coyotes in town, even though Thursday night’s deadline
passed without a prospective owner coming up with the money to buy the team.

Several Republican Governors, including Arizona's Jan Brewer, are in favor of expanded Medicaid funding -- even as they continue to oppose the Affordable Care Act. Many Republican members of Congress are also supporting immigration reform.

The Phoenix
Suns continue to have one of the worst records in the NBA’s Western Conference,
but the organization is trying to find other ways to attract fans to games.STEVE GOLDSTEIN: The Suns’
average attendance this season is under fifteen-thousand per home game at U.

The Appalachian Trail -- 2,184 miles of public pathway through the wilds of one of the oldest mountain ranges in the world, the Appalachians. The trail, envisioned by forester and conservationist Benton MacKaye as a refuge from life in the industrialized metropolis, was completed in 1937.

A
European-based software development company has selected Arizona for its U.S. headquarters. The governor’s office announced the arrival of Stealth
Software will bring 200 tech jobs to the state.
PETER
O’DOWD: The company’s European headquarters
are split between Luxembourg
and the Netherlands.

The Tempe City Council wants to crack down on unwanted panhandling. The council decided Thursday on changes that could please downtown business owners but may upset others. KJZZ’s Al Macias reports.City council members are trying to limit street begging which has become a growing problem in popular areas such the Mill Avenue.

State
lawmakers are moving to narrow the
list of animals people can legally claim they need for assistance, and
bring wherever they go. You might think
only service dogs would be in
this category, as they assist the blind with navigation, aid those with
disabilities in retrieving medications and assist with balance and
stability.

At the end of January, Governor Jan Brewer authorized
emergency funding for 50 new Child Protective Services workers. The 31 new case workers and 19 support staff
have been hired, according to the Arizona Department of Economic Safety, which oversees
CPS.

Arizona’s
military bases are preparing for the federal budget axe under sequestration. Officials
at Luke Air Force Base in Glendale said they’ll significantly reduce flying that
is not related to pilot training.

The Senate Judiciary Committee today takes up the
latest measure to combat synthetic drugs, like bath salts. House Republican
Eddie Farnsworth's bill is aimed at making the use of the latest compounds to
mimic a marijuana-like high illegal.

The execution of an Arizona
man scheduled to be put to death Wednesday has been postponed. Late Tuesday night,
the U.S. Supreme Court denied Arizona’s
request to lift the Ninth Circuit Court order that blocked the
execution.

A new report says
Arizona ranks sixth in the nation for creating jobs related to clean energy and
transportation.
The study by
the E2 Environmental Entrepreneur group and the Natural Resources Defense
Council says Arizona ranked behind California, North Carolina, Florida,
Illinois and Connecticut in clean energy
and transportation job growth in 2012.

Nearly
2 million women in the U.S.
are veterans, but many find themselves homeless after leaving the armed
services. Now, homeless women veterans in the Valley have a new resource to
help them get back on their feet.

More than 14 million people rode the Valley’s light rail
system last year. Valley Metro says that was more than a 6.5 percent
increase over 2011. And, some advocates are hopeful numbers like those will
lead to more housing, shops, restaurants and other development along the 20-mile
line.

Tracy Greer serves as KJZZ's Digital Media Editor. The position satisfies both her inner tech geek and her passion for journalism. She previously held a similar position for the North County Times in San Diego County, California.

The League of Arizona Cities and Towns has released a
proposal to simplify the state sales tax system. And, that plan includes taking
the most contentious issue off the table for now. From Phoenix, KJZZ’s Mark
Brodie reports.

State forestry officials are gearing up for what they
expect will be an 'average' wildfire
season this summer. Fire Information Officer Carrie Dennett says though,
wildfires in the West have increased in severity over the last few years.